If you’re wondering why people were queuing up at a Swatch shop near you, it’s because they wanted to buy the RM1,065 Swatch X Omega MoonSwatch. People around the world are willing to line up for hours just to get their hands on the watch and they are not even limited. So what’s all the hype about?
In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. But it was also a big first for watch company Omega because the astronauts were wearing the company’s Speedmaster chronograph. This is a mechanical watch with a stopwatch function and a tachymeter scale on the bezel which allows the watch to convert elapsed time into speed. But, the moon landing would not be the Speedmaster’s only space adventure as it was also used by astronaut Jack Swigert during the Apollo 13 mission.
The Apollo 13 was crippled by a rupture of a service module oxygen tank, so Jack used his Speedmaster to time the 14-second burn using the lunar module’s descent propulsion system which allowed for the crew’s safe return.
But what has all of this got to do with Swatch? Well, on the 22nd of March, Omega announced that they would be collaborating with Swatch to produce a new collection of watches called the MoonSwatch. These new watches are inspired by the Speedmaster Moonwatch, with a design that closely resembles Omega’s timepiece, but come in at a much more affordable price of RM1,065. There would be 11 different variants named after planetary bodies with a matching colour scheme to boot.
That’s why people were so excited, because this would be the cheapest Omega watch they could buy…but it’s not really an Omega. If anything, it’s more like a Swatch with Omega Speedmaster branding.
For starters, the MoonSwatch is not a mechanical watch. It uses a quartz movement that’s powered by a battery instead. Plus, the case is also made of a bioceramic material that’s apparently two thirds ceramic and one third material derived from castor oil. The strap is also what Swatch calls “spacesuit-ready velcro strap” instead of a bracelet. And the best part is that it’s not even a limited run collection. As far as we can tell, this watch is here to stay.
What are your thoughts on the new MoonSwatch? Let us know in the comments section below.
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